On a television series, The Wire, Barksdale Organization is a fictional drug dealing gang. The first season dealt with the Baltimore Police Department setting up crime units to investigate this organization. The most powerful drug kingpin of this organization is Avons Braksdale and he leads this organization. Dealing with heroin and cocaine, homicides and money laundering are some of the criminal activities that this gang dealt with.
The police department of Baltimore is portrayed here as incompetent and poor. Though they are able to arrest most of the gangsters, they are unable to put up a strong case against them to cripple permanently. Below given is the hierarchy structure of the organisation.
The Leadership Structure
Avon Barksdale
In season one he is the head of the organization where he is the major target of an investigation. He was ferocious and was even feared by other drug dealing organizations of Baltimore. He is shown to be shrewd, hot headed and intuitive and his drug dealing activities range across all the lucrative areas of the city. But his heroin trade is monopolised only in western Baltimore and did not affect the East side gangs.
Russell Stringer Bell
Second in command and closest to Avon was Stringer. He was his closest friend and the brain behind all of these strategies that needed coordination. In fact he was the major contact for all the organization’s businesses. With Avon as his companion, Stringer would operate from a strip club where they discussed business, meeting up with the subordinates and conducted meetings to launder money. He attended the community to get a better hang of the business and even applied them in their drug trade. He was not as ruthless as Avon and was quieter and humbler. Heart of hearts he wanted to leave the world of violence and enter the legitimate business world.
Sean Shamrock McGinty
When Avon was in prison, Shamrock was Stringer’s assistant. Even after Avon is paroled, Shamrock continues in his role of controlling the drug dealing via lieutenants and crew chiefs. Most of the time he is involved in turf wars with Marlo Stanfield and exchanging messages with the soldiers. At the end of season three he too is arrested along with Avon.
Slim Charles
In season three he is shown as an enforcer hired by the Barksdales when they needed more muscle power after the arrest of some of their key players. Charles proved his loyalty on multiple occasions despite minimal support. When Stringer Bell dies, he becomes Avon’s second man.